The chipmaker has warned that it is struggling to meet demand for its radio chips, which would be used by Apple in the new iPhone to connect to faster data networks.

An October launch would also give the iPhone 4S a year-long life cycle, after the phone - an upgrade on 2010's iPhone 4 - was announced and released in October 2011.

However, the Qualcomm supply constraints, along with Verizon Wireless's announcement of a dip in iPhone sales, led to a 3.4% decline in Apple's share price yesterday.

Separate reports have indicated that Apple will use new material for the redesigned body in the new iPhone. Computerworld claims that LiquidMetal will be used in the smartphone, after Apple spent $30m on acquiring the rights to the material in 2010.

Korea IT News also cites "industry sources" as suggesting that the next next iPhone will most likely adopt LiquidMetal for its outer casing.

LiquidMetal, which uses an alloy of zirconium, titanium, nickel, copper and other metals, could be used to make the new handset more durable but with an outer surface that is smooth like liquid. It also has the lightness of plastic, enabling the phone to have a thinner and more streamlined profile.

Speculation over what Apple plans to do with the LiquidMetal rights has been circulating for some time, but many now feel that it will debut in the new iPhone model.

This is particularly after LiquidMetal announced it was shipping its first commercial parts in December last year.

In a statement at the time, LiquidMetal president and chief executive Tom Steipp said: "We are very excited about the use of amorphous alloy technology to deliver stronger, lighter, and more corrosion resistant parts to our customers in varying industries globally.

"These initial shipments represent a significant milestone in our efforts to provide a new class of materials for our customers to consider when designing complex parts."

Alongside the redefined body, Apple is also expected to bring 4G LTE to the new iPhone, after introducing the superfast data connectivity in the latest version of the iPad.

It is also expected that the next generation smartphone will come with Near Field Communications (NFC), a new technology that enables 'contactless' transfers of information, often used for 'smart' payments for goods.